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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · sharp · field · branch · land · ball · charge · racket

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — a country
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — electricity
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ball — a dance
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a great time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. field — farmland
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — ground
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. field — for sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — a price
  23. land — to come down
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com